Saturday skips here to stay in Worcester

SATURDAY skips in Worcester are here to stay - after councillors changed tack over dumping them.

Worcester City Council has decided to scrap an idea to remove the skips after serious concerns it could increase flytipping.

As your Worcester News revealed last week, an in-house panel of councillors had urged a re-think over it.

The panel said the loss of the skips could result in higher costs in terms of dumped rubbish.

The skips appear at eight locations around the city, including Shap Drive in Warndon, Liverpool Road in Ronkswood and Waverley Street in Diglis.

The decision, announced during a meeting of the Labour-led cabinet last night, means the council has abandoned plans to save £15,000 from it.

It came as Worcester's environmental chief, Councillor Matthew Lamb, revealed his "anger" over Government funding.

Cllr Lamb, cabinet member for cleaner and greener, said: "David Cameron himself said councils are the most efficient sector of local government, but funding has fallen 40 per cent since the last general election.

"Out of 325 councils Worcester is 145th (for funding), so we're middle of the road.

"But from 2010 to 2015 the accumulative cut for Worcester's funding is 6.3 per cent and in West Oxfordshire, David Cameron's constituency and one of the richest parts of the country, they're getting a 3.1 per cent increase.

"Those most able to pay have escaped the heaviest cuts, that's what angers me."

Despite saving the skips, the council is still intending to cut £22,000 from emptying litter and dog bins in Worcester.

That led to Councillor Roger Knight, from the Conservatives, saying it will worsen the environmental services taxpayers get.

He said: "You say there will be no service cuts, but you're taking £22,000 off litter bins - I don't know how you'll achieve that without service reductions."

Cllr Lamb said it will be "perfectly possible" to have a "slightly reduced service" in some areas without a day-to-day impact for most people.

The city council is believed to be the only local authority in the country offering a skip service.